Buried within the last article on virtual communities in news sites was reference to this ‘technique’ for Small Group Dialogues (they call it a ‘tool’ at the top of the page but I don’t get the sense they are talking about actual software). I found this really interesting – many of the issues they try to address with their technique (too much anonymity; not enough personal responsibility; too large a group to get a sense of identity of belonging) seem to resonate with criticisms I hear of some formulations of online discussions or communities, and also seem a lot closer to a notion of what constitutes a community in our regular f2f lives. – SWL
(On a further look, they do also refer to some actual software they implemented with Web Crossing, which would be interesting to see.)